In a series of United States patent applications, copending and assigned in common herewith, a temper-indicative system and various components thereof are set forth. In applications Ser. No. 441,109 filed on Nov. 12, 1982 and Ser. No. 443,608 filed on Nov. 22, 1982, applicants provide a container having a jar with a mouth for access to its contents, a telltale element and a see-through cap releasably securable to the jar and circumscribing its mouth and the telltale element when secured to the jar. The cap includes one or more puncturing elements interiorly of the cap for travel with the cap. The telltale element is arranged in captive relation to the puncturing element prior to assembly of the cap with the jar. As the cap is rotated into securement with the jar, the telltale element becomes secured to the jar mouth as it engages same, for example, through contact activation of a sealant on the jar mouth or heat flowing of telltale plastic onto the jar mouth. Reverse sense opening movement of the cap is accompanied by visible rupturing and tearing of the telltale.
The puncturing element may take the form of one or more knife-like tines depending from the cap upper interior surface and non-deflectable relative thereto. The cap is desirably made of transparent material such that the condition of the telltale element may be viewed constantly after the initial assembly juncture and to the point of consumer sale.
In U.S. patent application Ser. No. 450,531 filed on Dec. 17, 1982, also copending and assigned in common herewith, a telltale is set forth for use in the described system which has a compressible layer, such as foam, in which the tines are captive. The telltale is preferably a laminate inclusive of such compressible layer and an underlayer which is both effective to blunt the tines in fully captured relation in the compressible layer and to serve as a jar sealing layer. A foil overlayer may also be included. The cap may include means for distributing force applied to the telltale to its periphery, thereby lessening the likelihood of tine rupture of the telltale movement of the cap into initial securement with a jar.
Underlying the system as described is a need to anchor the telltale to the container following movement of the closure member and telltale to initially close the container at the point of manufacture. In the above noted embodiments, use is made of a contact-activated adhesive or the telltale underlayer plastic is heat-flowed onto the container forming a bond between the telltale and the container. In those instances of user preference not to have any such bond, the subject tamper-indicating system as described heretofore is not applicable.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,131,774 and 2,131,775--Waring, disclose tamper-indicating containers of type including a tamper-indicating element located at the container mouth opening and activated upon closure member opening movement, without the presence of an adhesive at the telltale insert and container interface.
The Waring '774 practice is to provide a cap in the form of a hollow cylinder having a skirt depending from the cap top and interiorly threaded to receive the jar neck. The cap top is centrally open and prongs are formed in the plane of the cap extending into the central opening. The telltale element is nested in the cap interior and suitably secured therein. The cap with its nested telltale is then rotated into secured relation with the jar. Now the prongs are bent out of the plane of the cap top and into puncturing relation with the telltale element, remaining accessible through the open cap top. Waring relies on the friction existing between the planar surfaces of the telltale insert and the container to hold the telltale insert relative to the cap, such that the cap tines can effect tampering or indicate initial container opening.
In practice under the Waring '775 patent, the telltale is secured to the cap for movement therewith, the cap again having its top centrally open. A liner is stapled, stitched or glued to the telltale. In the course of rotation of the cap, telltale and liner into secured relation with a jar, a frictional planar undersurface of the liner is compressed onto the planar jar neck surface by friction therebetween. As the cap is rotated in opposite sense to be released from the jar, the cap and telltale are said to rotate initially relative to the liner and staple, whereby the staple ruptures the telltale.
In applicant's view, reliance upon simple frictional engagement as between the planar surfaces of the telltale insert and the container mouth detracts in substance from the integrity of a tamper-indicating system. Furthermore, the achievement of even simple frictional surface engagement in the Waring systems is attained only by complicated telltale insert structures, and does not lend itself to ready adaptation to conventional caps in present commercial use.